no judgement zone: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) treatment options

1. What is urinary tract infection?

Urinary tract infection (UTI) refers to inflammation of the urinary tract caused by pathogens invading the urinary tract mucosa or tissue. It is the second largest infectious disease after respiratory tract infection. The most common manifestations are frequent urination, urgency, and pain when urinating, which may be accompanied by fever, back pain, hematuria, urethral burning sensation, etc.

2. Why does UTI occur?

Common causes of urinary tract infection include urinary tract obstruction, pregnancy, postmenopausal women, diabetes, decreased immunity, overconsumption of sugars, fats, and sodium/ inadequate levels of calcium, vitamin D, and protein, and recent use of antibiotics. Although UTIs are more common in middle-aged and elderly people, certain habits such as holding urine, prolonged periods of sitting, excessive/unhygienic bedroom habits, improper hydration, alcohol, staying up late, etc., can lead to urinary tract infection in anyone.

3. Treatment Options

Appropriate use of medication is key: once symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and pain occur, you should seek medical attention ASAP - do not delay so as to avoid worsening of the condition and long-term treatment. It is also not advisable to go to the pharmacy to buy antibiotics on your own. The wrong type and dosage of antibiotics will cause the disease to become chronic or cause secondary infection, which is difficult to cure. Chinese medicine has unique advantages compared to common drugs prescribed at the pharmacy.

Differentiation of symptoms and treatment:

UTIs belongs to the syndrome of stranguria in traditional Chinese medicine. According to the specific symptoms, it can be divided into six types: hot, blood, gas, stone, ointment, and labor.

Among the stranguria syndromes, hot and blood stranguria are the most common. Hot stranguria can cause bladder irritation symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and pain; blood stranguria causes hematuria; paste stranguria causes chaotic urine or severe purulent urine; qi stranguria causes lower abdominal distension and pain; fatigue stranguria is caused by spleen and kidney deficiency; stone stranguria is caused by urinary tract stones. Its main pathogenesis is that damp heat accumulates in the lower part of the body, resulting in bladder qi dysfunction, damage to yin and qi, and spleen and kidney deficiency over time.

Commonly used Chinese patent medicines:

• San Jin Pian 三金通尿靈
• Liu Wei Di Huang Wan 六味地黄丸
• Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan 知柏地黄丸
• Te Xiao Xiao Yan Ling 特效消炎靈
• Y2X Stranguria Relief Tablet 通尿靈

Other notable products: Comfort Down Under Tea bag

Herbal recipes:

- Recipe 1: 5 grams each of Che Qian Zi and Deng Xin Cao, brewed with boiling water; can treat acute UTI and urinary incontinence.

- Recipe 2: 10 grams of Bai Mao Gen and 5 grams of tea leaves (any will do) are decocted with water, once a day; has the functions of clearing heat and promoting diuresis, cooling blood and detoxifying.

- Recipe 3: 30 grams of Jin Qian Cao, 5 grams of Gan Cao, add 500 ml of water, boil for 5 minutes, and take warm, divided 3 times; suitable for those with urinary tract stones.

-Recipe 4: 50-100 grams of Pu Gong Ying, decocted in water, and taken for 2-3 weeks.

Massage therapy

• Place your palms together and massage the abdomen with the palms of your fingers, rubbing clockwise along the colon for 5-10 minutes. It has the effect of improving and promoting gastrointestinal function and bladder retention.
• Open your hands and massage with your thumbs or use your palms to massage the acupoints on both sides of the waist and spine: spleen point, kidney point, and large intestine point 5-10 times each, until you feel sore and swollen. This method has a preventive and therapeutic effect on urinary system diseases.

Life style changes

• Life tips: drink more water, urinate frequently (do not hold urine); pay attention to hygiene; avoid wearing pants that are too tight for too long.
• Diet: It is advisable to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, such as celery, winter melon, watermelon, etc. Lower consumption of spicy and irritating foods, processed foods, alcohol, sugar, high-fat foods, etc. Simple and effective recipes include mung bean porridge and melon peel drink (watermelon peel or winter melon peel, add water and boil).
• Exercise: Regular exercise can speed up the body's metabolism and improve the body's immunity. The sixth form of the Chinese medicine 'Ba Duan Jin': "Climbing the Feet with Both Hands to Strengthen the Kidneys and Waist", has the effect of strengthening. Doing it 2-3 times a day consistently will be of great benefit.

And as always, consult a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner for your medical advice!

Reference:

王丹钖, 符强. Research Progress of Modern Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections[J]. 临床医学进展, 2024, 14(5): 1101-1106. https://doi.org/10.12677/acm.2024.1451531